Home energy Q&A

Q: With summer finally here, we are seeing lots of ideas for ways to cut our energy costs. What do you recommend as the best things to do to stay comfortable in hot weather without paying sky-high power bills?

A: Funny how quickly we forget the cold winter days that are finally over, and how much we wanted the hot weather to get here, when we start to get our summer utility bills. There are lots of tips offered all winter long on reducing heating costs, but we just don't seem to hear that much about saving energy in summertime.

When you think about lowering your summer energy use, keep in mind that a big chunk of that monthly power bill comes from heat that is actually generated inside your home rather than caused by the outdoor temperature.

A great deal of indoor heat comes from the heat and humidity generated by the use of home appliances and cooking and bathing. Logical ways to save here include using the oven less — cooking on an outdoor grill or using the microwave are both easy ways to generate less indoor heat.

If you do use the oven, be sure to use an exhaust fan to vent the heat and humidity to the outdoors.

If your climate cools off at night and you can turn off the air conditioner and open windows when the sun goes down, then that's a good time to run the washer and dryer, both of which put heat into the house.

If you still use incandescent bulbs in lamps and other lighting fixtures, turn them off when not in use. As much as 95 percent of the energy going into incandescent bulbs comes out as heat rather than light, so keeping lights on that you're not using is just generating heat you don't need in summer, causing your air conditioner work even longer.

Another big problem is air infiltration — the unwanted flow of air into and out of your home. Much of this is caused by cracks and holes and poorly sealed areas in your walls and around windows and doors, ducts, and in places like behind electrical outlets or around fireplace dampers that don't close all the way. Your local building supply store has inexpensive caulk and weather-stripping material and foam inserts that help with filling these openings. I know some people who even use child safety caps in electrical outlets they're not using specifically to block off these openings to stop unwanted airflow.

People who think they don't have these problems often just don't look for them. Take a walk around your home and look at all the places where pipes, cable TV wires and other openings in the walls are not properly sealed and allow air to flow in and out. As houses settle and doors and windows are frequently opened and closed, there often are gaps that allow airflow.

Properly regulating window coverings is also very important. Closing drapes and blinds tightly during the day will help keep the heat out — and it's a lot easier to stop unwanted heat before it gets inside than to get rid of it once it's in the house. Opening them at night will help the heat flow outdoors.

People often say that the biggest waste of energy comes from the roof and walls, which are most exposed to the hot summer sun. While basic strategies like light-colored roofing materials and walls will help reflect heat away from the home, research typically shows that cutting down on the heat that is generated from the indoors, cutting down on air infiltration, and regulating window covers can have a far greater impact on both indoor comfort and your energy bills.

The best way to stay comfortable and not get huge energy bills is to practice strategies like these while also using basic conservation measures like dressing for the weather and turning the air-conditioner setting as high as possible while still maintaining a good comfort level. And for those of you who haven't heard me say this before, remember that fans cool people, not homes, and while sitting near a fan will keep you cooler, leaving fans turned on with no people in the room will just waste energy.

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(Ken Sheinkopf is a communications specialist with the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org). Send your energy questions to askken(AT)ases.org.)